Gas-well equipment



ATTORNEYS March 16 1926.

' C. S. PEALE'R GAS wELL EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. 2l, 1924 Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES CHARLES PEALER, OF`DANVILIE, OHIO.

GAS-WELL EQUIPMENT. 4

Application ined January 21, 1924.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. PEALER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, inlthe count)1 of Knox and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improveiii'ent-s in Gas-IV ell Equipments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas wells and more particularly to av cleaning means for ie same.

Briefly stated,'an important object of this invention is to provide a gas well accessory or cleaning means which may be quickly brought into use t0 remove salt water and other accumulations about the anchor in the bottom of the tubing whereby to. expose the productive strata and to free the inlet perforat-ions in the anchor to allow escape of gas. 'A

A further and equally important obgect is to provide simple and reliable means whereby a cleaning medium such as water, gasoline, or the like, may be lforced under pressure back and forth through the anchor and the associated parts of the gas well to thoroughly loosen'and remove all salt water and matter which accumulates in the lower portion of the. well and' which frequently cut down production. Y p

A further object is to provide a well cleaning mechanism having means whereby hotwater or other hot liquid may be introduced into the tubing to melt and the like which may accumulate near the 5 upper po/rtion of the tubing and reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the tubing. Also, an important aim of the invention is to provide a well cleaning mechanism having means whereby the gas which is ejected from the well in advance of the salt or other matter to be removed may be saved in whole or in part.

A further and equally important object of the invention is to provide a gas well cleaning mechanism which may be permanently located in the well and which will not in any way interfere with or retard production.

Other objects and'advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application 'and in .which like numerals are employed to designate like partsthroughout the same. i

of the free the gas flows out through down "oil, paraffin,y

Serial N'o. 687,662.

Figure l might be said to be a side elevation o f the improved well cleaning mechanism in use, parts being shown in section, and

Fig. 2 is a detail section illustrating the lower port-ion of the well.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the inventiointhe numeral 5 designates a casing within which al tubing 6 of any desired diameter is located and as shown in the drawingr the lower portion of the tubing isprovided with the usual perforated anchor 7 by means of which the tubing. AA packer 8 of theusual construction may be located about the tubing at a point above the .producing strata and acts to prevent the uncontrolled escape of gas.

he upper portion of the tubing is provided exteriorlyof the casing with a coupling member 9 having a lateral branch 1l for conveying the gas to a suitable point of use or to a compressing gas is put under a higher ing through a pipe line. A valve 12 is in'- terposed in the discharge line 11 and forms a means for controlling the discharge of gas. In normal operation the valve 12 is open and the pipe 11. How-y ever. in case a quantity of salt water or other matter accumulates in'the bottom of the well and retards production the well cleaning feature is brought into operation and during a portion of this timethe valve 12 isclosed.

The well cleaning feature is provided with an inner tubing or fluid conveyor 14 substantially less in diameter than the tubing G and extended down to the bottoni of the aiichor 7 so as to discharge the fluid or gas adjacent the bottom of the well. Specifically` the inner flnidl'conveyor or inner tubing 11 has connection by a pipel with a pressure line v16. The pressure line 16 may extend from a high p-ressure well or it may extend from an engine by means of which air, water, gas, or gasoline, or any other fluid in fact,v may be pumped into the space between the inner and outer tubings 14 and 6, respecpressure for travelthe gas enters y station where the tively. The branch l5 may also be connected line 16 or the pressure tank 18. A supply pipe 22 may extend from the high pressure line 16 to the tank 18 and is provided with a valve 23y by means of which the flow of the fluid under pressure to the tank 18 may be controlled.

It might be said that the high pressure line 16 is provided with a branch 15 and a Second branch 26, the branch 26 being connected to the inner tubing 14 as indicated at 27. Also, the branch 26 may be provided with a valve 28 by means 'of which the flow of water, gas, gasoline; or the like, may be controlled.

It will be seen that the fluid under pressure may be supplied= either to the inner tubing 14'\or to the outer tubing 6 and when the Huid is supplied to one of these inembers the supply of fluid to the other member is cut off.

This makes it possible in o eration to' uickly convert the member 14 rom a disc arge member to a supply member and the tubing 6 from a discharge member to a sup-Y ply member or vice versa, c

In operation, when it is desired to clean the well, {iuid or'gas under pressure may be supplied by way of the branch 15 to the tubingy 6. and forced down through the tubing and into the open lower end portion of the inner tubing `14 for forcing out of the inner tubing the salt water and other matter which accumula-tes in the bottom of the well. i It will be seen that'as the fluid or gas under pressure Hows down through the outer tubing 6. it will pick up the salt water and introduce it into the inner tubing 14. The salt water thus forced `up through the tubing 14 will force the gas'in the inner tubing upwardly and out through an outlet branch 30. However, as soon as the gas inthe `tubing 14 is expelled by way of the sup leinental outlet member 30, a valve 31 in t e supplemental outletv member is closed and salt water is` conveyed out through the upper end of the pipe 14. During the travel of the gas through thel outlet member 14 and the supplemental outlet member 30 a valve 33 in. -theupper portion of the inner tubing 14 is closed.

Now, when the water reaches the level of the branch or outlet member 30 the valve 31 is closed and the valve 33 is opened thereby allowing the Salt water to pass olf through the open end of the pipe 14.

It will be seen that the 'supplemental out let member 30 which establishes communication between the inner tubing 14 and the discharge memb" 11 forms an efficient means for saving the gas in the tubing in -advance of the salt water.

It is also possible to introduce the fluid under pressure by way of the pipe 14 and discharge the fluid at the lower end of the outer tubing 6. The fluid thus discharged picks up the salt water and conveys it up through the tubing 6 to an outlet member or branch 40 having a valve 41. In this case the gas in advance of the water is discharged by way of the main outlet pipe 11 and when the water level is reached the valve 12 is closed and the valve 41 is opened. This arrangement of valves and outlet members provides for the saving of some or all the gas in the outer tubing exteriorly of the inner tubing.

It sometimes happens that the oil sus-y pended in the gas congeals near the top of the outer tubing 6 and in this case hot water or a solvent is introduced into the tubing by way of the branch 15 to melt down this congealed oil and prevent a reduction in the effective cross-sectional area of the tubing.

One of the principal features of the invention resides in the fact that the valve 33 may be closed during the normal operation of the well and the inner tubing 14 utilized to convey the gas from the bottom of the well or from the productive strata to the outlet member 11 by way of the supplemental outlet pipe 30. It is thus seen that the inner tubing 14 not only serves as a cleaning inember but also as a supplement-al gas outlet member. This makes practically the entire internal diameter of the outer tubing 6 etective Jfor the discharge of gas.

In the normal operation of the well the valves 28, 41 and 50 are closed and the gas yflows froml the tubing to a suitable point of use or to a sta-tionv where the pressure is stepped up.

I .realize that in the operation of my in vention it may be necessary to have the pressure of the expelling or cleaning Huid or gas Substantially above the normal gas pressure to enable the expelling Huid or gas to conduct the water up through either the inner or outer tubing and out through the various branches described.

It is to be understood that the forni ol the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that'such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be made as will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedvis:

In a gas well of inner and outer tubings, a main gas outlet member ,connected to said outer tubing and having a valve, a supplemental gas outlet member connecting said inner tubing to said main gas outlet member and having a valve, a fluid pressure line connected to said inner tubing and having a branch line yconnected to said inner tubing outwardly of the point of connection of said supplemental gas outlet. member with said inner tubing, separate valve for said iuid pressure line and iis the branch thereof whereby a cleaning Huid or a solvent may be forced under pressure alternately in opposite directions through said inner and outer tubings for removing salt Water and cleaning the productive strata, the valves in said main and supplemental gas outlet members forming a means .salt water outlet member connected to said' 10 outer tubing. v In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

cHnLEs s. PEALER. 

